1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit package.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuits are typically housed within a package that is mounted to a printed circuit board. The integrated circuits generate heat which must be removed from the package. Some packages incorporate heat slugs or heat sinks to facilitate the removal of heat from the integrated circuits. The heat sinks are coupled to the integrated circuits to provide a direct thermal path between the die and the ambient of the package. Because of manufacturing tolerances there may exist air gaps or air pockets between the integrated circuit and the heat sinks. Air is a poor thermal conductor. A layer of thermal grease is therefore typically applied to the top of the integrated circuit to provide a relatively low thermal impedance between the circuit and the heat sink.
To minimize the thermal impedance of the package it is desirable to control the application of the thermal grease. Too much thermal grease will unduly increase the thermal impedance of the package and the junction temperatures of the integrated circuit. An insufficient amount of thermal grease may leave air gaps and pockets that also increase the thermal impedance of the package. It is therefore desirable to provide an integrated circuit package that has a controlled layer of thermal grease.